Ever since it was first announced, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” has been mired in controversy, largely due to the film taking an unknown amount of inspiration from the life story of deceased science fiction writer and religion-starter, L. Ron Hubbard. Now, presumably despite the best efforts of Tom Cruise and the most loyal Sea Org members, and to the delight of film fans and Anoynmous members alike, the “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia” director’s newest work could see release this October.

The news came via Cigarettes & Red Vines, which claims to be, and makes a good case for being “The Definitive P.T. Anderson Resource.” The site, which may or may not be doing Xenu’s work, tweeted at a producer on the film, Megan Ellison, asking when they might be able to see the film, and received this reply: “@cigsandredvines I know you guys are waiting on a release date for ‘the Master’, and it’s still a bit early, but I’d keep my eyes on October.”

In the case of news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation. --VoltaireI am a bot. I cannot reply to your messages, PMs, or emails. I collect the news and post it; that is my function for this lifetime.

PIGEON droppings lie almost an inch thick in most of Building 69. It is a long red-brick storehouse, built during the Civil War and afterward in what used to be the Mare Island Naval Shipyard here. The interior is a filthy warren of tiny rooms, most empty, except for the pigeons, at least since the shipyard was decommissioned in the 1990s.

But a corner on the south side has been cleaned up. There just enough sunlight breaks through a window to illuminate what looks like a film-prop chalkboard marked with an elaborate schedule. It records the coming and going of freighters that are nowhere in sight.

With some imagination, and a dozen extras, this could pass for the maritime hiring hall where Freddie Quell, a drifter played by Joaquin Phoenix, looked for work back in about 1951, before stumbling through the docks of San Francisco to his much stranger destiny in a movie that is expected to be called “The Master.”

Here is your first tiny, eye-straining look at Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master

A.V. Club New York

by Sean O'Neal May 15, 2012 Paul Thomas Anderson is currently hard at work overseeing post-production of The Master, his October 12 movie about Scientology that is not explicitly about Scientology (but really, it's pretty much about Scientology), ...

After years of mystery and a lot of rumors, we've finally got our first look at Paul Thomas Anderson's new film The Master. Previous reports have said that it focuses on Philip Seymour Hoffman as a cult leader not unlike Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, but if you take a look at this brand new teaser trailer, which debuted at the film's official site, you'll see pretty much none of that. Instead the focus is pretty much entirely on Joaquin Phoenix, as a character who seems to be in a lot of trouble but doesn't quite grasp it. Take a look below.

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson has screened his new film about a Scientology-like sect leader for Tom Cruise, Scientology's most famous follower, in the hopes of heading off a conflict with the group, TheWrap has learned.

According to two individuals close to the movie, Anderson recently screened the film, loosely based on the life of Scientology-founder L. Ron Hubbard, for Cruise.

Both individuals said that Cruise "had issues" with some parts of the movie. Cruise starred in one of Anderson's earlier movies, "Magnolia," and the two remain friends.

The Master doesn't open in theaters until October, but the movie already is creating a stir, with a fictional plot apparently inspired by the Church of Scientology and its founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Movie bloggers recently viewed an exclusive 4-minute preview of The Master at the Cannes Film Festival, consistently noting similarities to the church's history and techniques. An early draft of the screenplay leaked online in 2010 as "Untitled Scientology Project."

The Master is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, a five-time Oscar nominee for Boogie Nights, Magnolia and There Will Be Blood.

We have a quick Friday update for everyone. In a recent interview with Indiewire for his new film "Dead Man's Burden," actor Barlow Jacobs was asked about his involvement in "The Master" and gave the following tight-lipped details... Now I have to ask about your part in "The Master." I'm sure you're not privy to tell me a lot. But what can you tell me about your role in the film?

It was amazing. Becoming an actor in your head you make this list of directors you want to work with. Somebody like Paul Thomas Anderson is at the top of my list. It was a huge honor to get to work with him. When you step onto one of his sets, you know that you're going to be working with the best at every level of production. I think it's going to be a super, super powerful film.

So who do you play?

I'm trying to be very careful about what I'm allowed to say. I play a young powerful lawyer in the film...in Philadelphia. That's all about all I feel comfortable saying.

Is it a movie about Scientology?

I can't say! I will say that obviously with this cast -- I feel like everybody just gave phenomenal performances. I cannot wait for it to come out in October and see how people respond to it. It's epic.

Star is unhappy with director Paul Thomas Anderson's movie about a sect founder who's 'making it up as he goes along,' source says

Tom Cruise’s fellow Scientology members would like to master “The Master.”

A source familiar with Paul Thomas Anderson ’s film about the founder of a Scientology-like religious movement tells us officials of the controversial church group “hit the roof” when they learned — presumably through Cruise — that the movie contains a scene which suggests the belief system was little more than a product of the leader’s fertile imagination.

In May, Anderson, who is friends with Cruise and directed him in “Magnolia,” the 1999 film that earned Cruise a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination — reportedly screened his film for the “Rock of Ages” star.

“The Master” is said to be loosely based on the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd, the founder of a 1950s religious movement called The Cause...

According to our insider, one scene that didn’t sit well with Cruise takes place on a patio where Joaquin Phoenix , who plays Freddie Sutton, a troubled drifter who becomes Dodd’s right-hand disciple, watches Dodd pontificate about the religion he has created.

During the scene, the source says, another character close to the founder turns to Phoenix and says of Dodd, “You know he’s making it up as he goes along.”

Referring to the actual Church of Scientology, our source says, “Tom Cruise’s people are grumbling about this line — amongst others — but Anderson is not taking it out.”

Anderson's Master draws inspiration from the real-life rise of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard during the 1950s, but the 5-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker clearly has higher aspirations than to create a backdoor biopic about the man who founded a ...

With everything else going on now, this movie may well be the icing on the cake that destroys Scientology's reputation in Hollywood and the world

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I am a volunteer advocate for victims of the Narconon scam. I am a former scientologist. I post anonymously. Mary McConnell is my long time nom de plume. Feel free to contact me for assistance in righting the wrongs.